Just a few of my thoughts on the world around me

I’m Back!!

by crusader1240 on April 13, 2013

I’m back and a special thanks to Ninja for taking the reins of RR this week! I kinda threw it on her without really warning her and she did great. I think we even gained several new followers (Welcome!). Maybe I should encourage her to post more often…

Well, today is normally a weekly-post day (Friday Fun!), but since I’ve been out of town all week, that’s not happening. Surprisingly, a week without internet is very relaxing.

Anyway, as you probably know, I spent a week in SC at BJU competing in a National Fine Arts competition. I went for 7 events (Band/Orchestra, Handbell Choir, Choral Group, Large Vocal Ensemble, Bible Quizzing, Woodwind Solo, and Algebra/Geometry Test) and only placed in two. To top that off, the campus is full of pollen-laden trees, which means I can’t breath. I know, bummer.

Well after my Choral Group was supposed to perform Wednesday, I had to head to my solo. I was slightly late and had to run to get my flute and get there in time to warm up. Unfortunately, the person before me never showed and they wanted me to go right away. So there I was, hyperventilating, sweaty and freaking out. I thrust my flute into my accompanist’s hands to get the music for the judges and blew some warm air in my flute as I entered the performance room.

There sat three judges and one friend (Jecka, actually). They let me catch my breath and I tuned and introduced my self. As I began to play, nothing came out. I looked at my flute and one key was glued down! I pried it open apologizing as I did and started over again. This malfunction really psyched me out and then it did it again several times as I pressed through and finished the song. I couldn’t believe it: here I was, my senior year, my final chance at Nationals and after all my hard work and good care of my flute it malfunctioned at the most inopportune time possible!

I was the last performance before chapel and since there was no one there anyway, I went to leave when the judges asked to see my flute and asked what had happened. I told them and handed it to one of the judges, Mr. Feilds. He inspected it and told me he could find out what the trouble was if he could get it under his microscope and take it apart. I knew that could never happen since I was already delaying getting my flute checked up because I didn’t have the money for it and said nothing.

He passed it to another judge while the third, Mrs. Barrett asked where I lived and whether I knew any flute repair specialists in my area. The man who usually repaired my flute had just moved up to Maranatha in Wisconsin so I said I hadn’t found a new one yet. She gave me her e-mail and told me she would send me some names to look up here in Kansas City. Then Mr. Feilds asked me if I had any other performances I would need my flute for that week and I told him I still had band. He then told me he would fix my flute for free. It was a blur as we traded phone numbers and he told me to leave it with him and he would have it done in a few hours.

The next thing I knew I was walking into the campus amphitorium for chapel with tears streaming down my face. We found our group and stood and opened the hymnals to sing “O Rejoice in the Lord.” I struggled through the first two verses and barely finished with the last verse. Later, I realized just how much the Lord worked for me. I needed my flute fixed and I couldn’t get it done myself, so He took me into a hard situation to give me the blessing of having it fixed for free as well as getting a hand in finding a new repair shop.

Even though this song refers to long hard trials, in the short time between my solo and the help after, I felt like the lowest of the low and a complete failure. I’ve put it in here anyways because it was an enormous encouragement to me this week.

God never moves without purpose or plan
When trying His servant and molding a man.
Give thanks to the LORD though your testing seems long;
In darkness He giveth a song.

I could not see through the shadows ahead;
So I looked at the cross of my Savior instead.
I bowed to the will of the Master that day;
Then peace came and tears fled away.

Now I can see testing comes from above;
God strengthens His children and purges in love.
My Father knows best, and I trust in His care;
Through purging more fruit I will bear.

O Rejoice in the LORD
He makes no mistake,
He knoweth the end of each path that I take,
For when I am tried
And purified,
I shall come forth as gold.

So, sorry to deprive you of your weekly humor, but this just had to be shared.

Congratulations to Jecka for taking 1st place in the Home Economics test!

Prayers would be appreciated as I take the ACT tomorrow from 8-12 CST. I am running on very little sleep and have trouble thinking straight from my allergy medications.